Lord Make us Courageous

I feel like I have been around cattle my whole life. This is Texas. My parents raised cattle in retirement years and my younger brother continues to and he lives next to me. Yesterday as I was walking towards the back pasture, I got to witness the conclusion of one of the younger cows giving birth to her first calf. Cattle people know that sometimes this miracle can go wrong and I have witnessed that. However yesterday on a beautiful sunny day there were no problems. It is truly a miracle that God created and it always causes joy in my heart when I watch a young newborn calf attempt to stand for the first time and the love that its mother shows in encouraging him and protecting him.

All of us have experienced times of sorrows in our lives. I have written about mine. Letting go of Zach from this world was the hardest thing Leonard and I ever walked. My own cancer diagnosis that was so grim in the beginning was also difficult and trying and I will write more on these experiences as I keep this blog. However, there is still so much joy in this life. It is amazing to me how each of us can rebound and find so much purpose to keep going. Joy is restored and hope continues. The only source for any of this is God and God alone. I feel His comfort and His strength and it gives me sustenance I need to endure.

Despite what you are facing or going through know that there is hope in Christ and your ultimate strength lies in the knowledge that God is who He said He is, that He did what He said He did and He is going to do what He said He is going to do.

I am an early riser. This past Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m. I noticed patrol car lights. As the morning wore on, I noticed that traffic had stopped and had been stopped for quite some time. Clearly there had been some kind of accident on business 71 yet I did not hear any kind of crash. Yesterday my husband informed me that there had been an accident. A young man, possibly in his 20’s, had been struck down by a car. He apparently had been walking down the middle of the highway in the dark wearing dark clothing. The driver of the vehicle did not see him until he was almost on him. A life gone in an instant.

Scripture warns us that this life is but a vapor, a mist. Those of us who have had to let go of a young child or young adult are quite aware of that reality. This is not written I believe to scare us as it is to make us aware so that we are ready when that time comes. Do we have a faith and trust in Christ? Have we given our lives to Him? Do we love Him more than this world? Do we understand that there is something so much better still to come?

Like you I found myself grieving for a family that would receive hard news. I wondered if they had a faith in Christ. I wondered if that young man dying on a lonely highway had a faith in Christ. If you are reading this and you are still on the fence, I encourage you to read God’s Word with an open mind and an open heart. I encourage to try and find out if you believe the God of the bible to be the only true God. If you already are of that opinion, praise God and be thankful for each moment you have and especially grateful for each moment that will come when we are in His presence. In the meantime, stay courageous!

Last week I referenced the above scripture from the book of Numbers. It is a pretty amazing statement because it does reflect the power of the creator. If we believe the bible to be true. If we believe that God is who He said He is, then we must know that absolutely nothing is too difficult, hard or challenging for Him.

Last month I had my regular CT scan and blood work. I do this routine every 4 months because of the type of cancer I had and that it has grown back twice in the last 8 years in my lungs. My cancer actually started in my uterus and spread to my lungs. My abdomen graduated to a yearly exam quite a while back but my lungs did not reach that goal. In December of 2023, my bloodwork showed that my hemogloblin had dropped to 10.4 which is below the acceptable amount of 12.0. This was unexpected and anemia typically indicates an issue for a woman of my many years. With my history, it can certainly indicate cancer. I had to do a follow up CBC this last week and praise to God, my hemoglobin was back up into the normal range with 12.2.

It is easy for all of us to praise God when our news is good. It is more challenging when we receive alarming news. That I believe is the human condition. We know that nothing is too difficult for God and yet we get sick, our family breaks apart, loved ones die. We wonder. The reality is that God can do whatever He chooses. We have to accept that we are in a world corrupted by sin and that this world is not our ultimate home. There is a world coming where sin is not involved. The bible describes it and for me it would be too difficult to actually write into words. Read God’s Word. It will give you a clue. In the meantime, trust God. Walk with Him. Praise Him. Give Him the glory in all things. Ask that He make you courageous.

It’s Friday! When I was working full time now going on 8 years ago, that was a joyous feeling. A two day break was on the horizon! Friday also gives each of us an opportunity to think back over the many blessings we have been given.

One thing all of us have in common to be joyful over is that we were born in this country. Despite all the issues we see and many are disconcerning for sure, this country has been blessed and we by extension have also been blessed. A working toilet in a home is a great thing. Air conditioning in the summer in Texas is greater than what words here can describe. Oh that my ancestors could have enjoyed that. There is so much.

You may be facing a really tough situation in your life right now. Most of us totally understand. Keep in mind that there is nothing too big for the one true living God. In reading Numbers this morning, I came across this verse “And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” Think about that. Of course it has not! There is absolutely nothing He can’t do and you have absolutely nothing to lose to petition before His throne. Remember that this life is full of challenges and difficulties as well as joy and happiness. You have a source of strength. Seek Him. Trust Him. Allow Him to be your source of courage and don’t forget those words of gratitude and praise!

Grief is very painful. It can devastate us and rob us of so much joy. My pastor told me once the greater the love, the deeper the sorrow. I believe that to be true. The last evening of Zach’s life in this world was spent at MD Anderson. His oxygen need was so great that he had two oxygen masks on trying to be comfortable. Rachel came to see him that last time. As she began speaking to my husband and myself, Zach heard her and recognized her voice. He took both masks off to say her name. He always called her Ms Thomas. She spoke to him in a comforting tone and left abruptly. She told me later she went to her car and sat there and just cried. As a doctor, she knew his time was close. Afterwards in a conversation with her, I poured out my sorrow through questions. Why didn’t God heal Zach? We had so much faith. We claimed God’s promises and His Word. Isn’t this what all the word of faith teachers tell us?? Why wasn’t Zach healed on this side? Rachel in her normal calm manner replied “Sheri, think again about what you’re saying. If we could control God with our own desires and whims, He would not be a God worth serving.” How true is this statement!

God is God because He is holy. He is the One true God. He created everything. He is perfect. We cannot measure His holiness because we can’t even understand it. One day for those of us who choose to submit and trust, we will.

I often smile when I think about and envision Zach hanging out with Rachel. He admired her so. That gives me so much joy and that is where my true healing comes from. First we must believe God is real and Jesus died for us. Then we need to choose to submit to His authority and desire to please Him above all else. When we feel that our family members or friends have done the same and their time on this earth ends, there is much joy in knowing that a glorious reunion is still to come. In the meantime, keep trusting and walk courageously with God.

The first time I met Dr Rachel Armstrong Thomas was when my sister was pregnant with her first child Shawn over 44 years ago. What was really interesting to me at the time was that Rachel herself was pregnant with her first child who would be born one month after Shawn and the nurse during delivery was also pregnant with her second child who was born in February so imagine that picture while my sister was giving birth.

I really got to know Rachel when my son Zach was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I cannot express how much she helped our family during this most difficult time. She visited Zach numerous times while he was in and out of the hospital at both Hermann and MDA. Countless times she came to our home to listen to Zach’s lungs, administer a shot he needed or just talk to him about moose (she was from Canada). She was a delight to all of us. Some of the best advice I received came from her. At one point early in Zach’s diagnosis, I grieved to her in wanting to know what the future held for Zach. Now I do realize that we as followers of Christ should not engage in this kind of thinking. Our trust is in Christ. I am being very honest with you. I wanted to know if Zach would still be with us even a year from that date. I still remember her response – “Sheri you don’t know what you are asking for. Think about it. If we knew what the future held, we might not have the strength to get out of the bed in the morning.” Perhaps this is why our Lord who loves us so, instructs us not to seek mediums, fortune tellers to know the future. Our complete trust is to be in Him.

It’s been I believe three years since Rachel departed this life. It was quite a blow to a huge community of people who loved her and cherished her friendship. Her advice lives on in my mind. Tomorrow I will share something else she told me that stuck with me all these years later.

We are often blessed with a multitude of people in our lives who I believe God uses to encourage us, strengthen us and often redirect our thoughts of where they should be. This is another example of His grace. We are all so blessed to have known such people as Rachel who encourage us to be courageous and trust God in all things.

One of the things I felt led to do after my own miraculous healing from cancer was to start a ministry that would help others also battling this dreaded disease. My last chemo treatment was December of 2015. The remission of my cancer was stunning to my doctors at MD Anderson but I must also confess overwhelming to me. God had granted me more days. I did not deserve it. I was not entitled to it yet God in His infinite mercy and grace, granted me more days in this life. I wanted to share that hope with others and the ministry was born in March of 2016.

My local church has the pleasure of sending out boxes that contain a blanket that we pray will comfort those receiving it and a hat with a few other things. The most significant thing in the package to me is the testimonials that individuals in our church submitted with their own battle and overcoming of cancer. Most of us when diagnosed are looking for hope. These testimonials help in giving that hope. Each persons lives are rebuilt and the ashes become beauty.

Isaiah 61:3 contains the beautiful verse beauty for ashes. It is about hope. It shows where true hope comes from. If you have not read this verse and you are in a battle that feels overwhelming, take a look at this verse. Meditate on it. In it you will find where true hope arises and it will enable you to be courageous to face what you must face. You are an overcomer through Christ.

Back in the 1970’s there was a brother/sister duo called The Carpenters. They were very popular then and especially to this gal when she was a young girl. I use to dream of being able to sing like Karen Carpenter. Alas it was only a dream. Rainy Days and Mondays was one of their hits. One of the lines in the chorus read “Hanging around, nothing to do but frown. Rainy days and Mondays always gets me down.” Does this chorus describe what you are feeling right now? In Columbus, Texas this morning it almost does. It is Monday and it is definitely raining outside. A double whammy – Monday and rain.

For a lot of people at different stages in their lives, it does feel like the world is caving in. For some it is the struggle of relationships whether lost through death or a strain of not speaking. Some people obsess over politics and the fear that the world is about to end. They do not trust in God or His timing for the world to end, only in what they read in the news.

I have been there. I have felt the world collapsing both with the year we fought cancer along side our son Zach and from the point that my own cancer diagnosis was given in 2015 without much hope. I understand and anyone reading this blog understands as well. All people if they live long enough face a certain amount of pain and challenges. Praise God that our hope is ultimately in Him. He holds our future in His hands. He knows every hair on our heads. If we choose to submit to His authority and trust in who He says He is, He will strengthen us to finish the race and endure what we must face. I know. I’ve been there. Do not put your trust in the things of this world. Focus on God. Read His promises. Memorize them. He is the true source of courage. Remember that this is not our home. There is something so much better still to come.

“If your worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep. And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.” Anyone remember this line from a song rightly entitled “Count Your Blessings.” It’s often played around Christmas time but its theme is one that should be incorporated year round.

One of the greatest weapons we have to combat depression, anxiety, anger, etc is gratefulness. It’s such a simple term and yet so powerful. If we are not careful, we can become bitter due to the events that happen in our lives in this world. Two of the greatest weapons I ever used to fight bitterness was praise and gratefulness. In reality we all have something to be grateful for despite our circumstances. On Fridays, I will be posting what I am grateful for regarding the preceding week and I strongly encourage you to do the same.

This weekend I will have four of my seven grandchildren. I have been exceedingly blessed as you can read that I have seven grandchildren. All of you that are grandmothers know the joy of when you became a mother and the joy of becoming a grandmother. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with each of them to create memories not just for me but also for each of them. I am grateful for the opportunity to bond with each of them in a special way. That is my blessing to reflect on for this week. Praise God today. Count your blessings today! Meditate on the goodness of God. Be courageous!

I will make a confession to you. One of my favorite foods that I could easily gorge on all day is nuts. Many people love chocolate. Many people love ice cream. There are people who love vegetables! I am not one of those though I wish I were. I love nuts. The problem is that nuts are healthy but also full of fat. Fat packs on calories which of course packs on weight. I realize that though I love nuts, I must limit how many I consume each day.

We all battle things in our lives partly because we have a desperate desire to control. We want to control our families, our jobs, as many of circumstances that we face as possible. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There are limits as to what we can control. I can control how many nuts I eat each day. Sometimes that is not easy but I can do it. There have been circumstances in my life that I could not control. This is where trust is so important. Trust in someone so much greater than ourselves. Believing that the God of the bible is the true and only God. That He had a son named Jesus. That the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. That they are separate and yet three in one. That Jesus died for my sins and yours and if I believe all of this to be true, there is a place for me in His kingdom when my time here is done.

We will all face events in our lives that we cannot control. Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can trust an authority so much greater than ourselves to navigate us to the destiny that our Lord chooses for us to go. Let go of the control. Trust God. Be courageous.